


Why Does Nobody Want Change?

by technicaldragon



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akira is fucking WHIPPED for his best friend and waxes poetically to himself, Enemies to Friends, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, I will save goro akechi with my own two hands, M/M, Minor Angst, New Game +, Pining, Poetic Pining, some sleep deprivation in the early chapters, tags to be added as story is written, the universal constant is ann's all knowing gaze
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2020-12-27 11:17:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21117914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/technicaldragon/pseuds/technicaldragon
Summary: After nearly a year of hard work and suffering on all parts, Akira is finally able to rest on his laurels, he'll worry about confessing his crush later.At least that was his plan.When he suddenly wakes up on a train to Shibuya nearly a whole year before, freshly on parole and suppose to meet his 'new' caretaker and go to his 'new' school, he doesn't know what to make of this, especially when the tingle of the Metaverse is fresh on his skin.





	1. Déjà Vu?

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic in years, but I recently finished my first play through of Persona 5 and started my NG+ play and just like everyone thought, "but what if Akira remembers everything?". I hope I do this idea justice cause it is probably my favorite trope for games with the option to do so. I hope to also be able to put my own ideas and twist to it, with a full plot and everything! Please enjoy!
> 
> Title is taken from Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There cause I love the opening theme ;3c

The walk up the steps was the longest Akira had ever had to weather. Though the laughter of his team- his friends, followed him as cheerfully and loud as usual. It was finally becoming clear to him; this was the last he would see of them for a long time. Sure they would all meet up in a few weeks to celebrate finals and Makoto’s inevitable acceptance to the school of her choosing… But, Akira had become too reliant on the promise of being able to see them everyday.

He wasn’t left to his thoughts for long however, as Ryuji launched himself from the walk onto Akira, who still stood staring at the door to his house. The weight of Ryuji’s arm on Akira’s shoulder set a jolt through him, releasing the swarm of butterflies in his stomach that had been threatening to swallow him up the whole trip. Every brush and seat change in the van thrilled and terrified him, any thought of confessing terminated by the prospect of a horrid mixing of rejection and the idea of not only losing Ryuji in moving away, but not even being able to visit him when Akira could make it into town.

“-but then again, you weren’t exactly shaken when you moved to Shibuya either!” Oh shit, Ryuji had come over here to _talk_ to him. 

“I was only suppose’ to be there for a year anyway,” Akira let the right side of his mouth quirk up, glad his hair was in his eyes so he had the scant spare seconds to compose himself and not do something stupid, like shamelessly makeout with his best friend on his doorstep in front of all of his friends. Thankfully, he had mastered the art of not making out with Ryuji at this point.

Ryuji’s laugh was harsh and the best damn thing Akira had ever heard. “That’s our leader! Always the level head!” Ryuji squeezed him closer and Akira’s ‘level-head’ wavered like a moth distracted from its course by the sun. He sent a prayer to whatever god was left for a safety line before he just let himself sink into a sea of things he’d regret later.

“God share a goodbye with the rest of us!” Ann grabbed ahold of his free arm, both hands gripping his bicep as he scrambled to take the lifeline she had so generously offered him. All while desperately avoiding the knowing gaze he’d find in her eyes. 

Akira let a chuckle escape his lips, releasing some of the pent up tension in his being with it. He moved to shake both of the obnoxious blondes off of him, with next to no success. 

Thankfully, the mothering tone of Makoto broke through the fray, “you’ll see him again in a few weeks, if even!” Ever the brains of the operation, she managed to get the two off of Akira with his limbs intact. He flashed her a smile in thanks and fully turned to his friends, ignoring the setting of the sun and the door behind him that would lead to the next chapter of his life, the one he’d have to traverse without Makoto’s steady voice and Ann’s playful chatter.

“Oh my god are you _crying_?!” Futaba’s screech made him jump, he’d never saw her coming, let alone getting close enough to see the few tears get past his emotional lockdown. He swiped at his face in a futile attempt to get at the dampness before it could be seen. Though without warning he was suddenly enveloped in a seven person group hug, the girls all cooing about how sweet it was to see him cry at a mere goodbye.

Akira sniffed and did his best to hug all seven of them back at the same time, only really succeeding in sniffling into Ann’s massive ponytail. The next few weeks would be over before he knew it, and he’d see them all again. They’d have new stories, and so would he. They’d pile in LeBlanc, Sojiro would pretend he’d hate it but love every minute they were making a mess in his cafe.

_Yeah_, Akira thought, _we’ll be just fine._

* * *

“I still think I should be allowed my own room after all this time,” Morgana stated with a huff and he leapt onto the bed with practiced ease. Akira shook his head with a laugh, imagining going to his mom with a request like converting the spare room to be used by just the cat he randomly acquired during his stay in Tokyo. Morgana didn’t find the same humor in it, but seemed too tired to try the topic any further.

Akira was doing the stretches Ryuji had showed him to do before bed so he wouldn’t cramp in his sleep. He was taking his time with them, trying his best to digest the eventful and emotional day he had just had. This had been his choice afterall, just like getting arrested or going to juvie. So why did this decision hurt so much more? A yawn broke through his sleep enabled inner babbling.

His back popped as his stood, making Morgana give out a drowsy chuckle from the foot of his new bed. Akira felt some of the weight that came with leaving his friends lift off of his chest as he tried to get under the covers around Morgana. With the absence of the weight, came the sudden blanket of exhaustion that overcame him without mercy, though he welcomed it after the year he had. Even with the tearful goodbyes, it felt nice to finally be in his bed again, surrounded with his things and the promise of tomorrow.

* * *

Akira was brought back into awareness by sudden chatter, different from LeBlanc’s trademark mild murmur. He didn’t remember having school today, and he so desperately wanted to roll over and go back to sleep. Only to remember that he didn’t fall asleep in the attic of LeBlanc, he fell asleep in his very, very empty house with nought but a talking cat for company.

He opened his eyes with a start and a gasp, his breath feeling lodged in his throat, unable to fully escape his lungs. His surroundings were most certainly not his bedroom, or really, any room for that matter. He was on a train, a familiar train. The train that very distinctly lead back into Shibuya. Around him conversations went on like nothing was at all the matter, and maybe to them, nothing was. It wouldn’t be the first time Akira’s world was being up ended around and everyone else remained unbothered by it.

Trying to channel Joker was easier than Akira really felt it had any right to be. He did his best to calm down and gather his wits, looking for clues as to how he ended up on a train to Shibuya was his priority number one, he felt the objective mark itself like a task list in a video game in his mind, then got to work at what he did best; eavesdropping.

All the conversations had a tone of familiarity to them, like he had heard them all before. He’d heard of deja vu before, even had the odd moment of it, but never like this. This was the just like the train ride when he rode into Tokyo back in April. But there was no logical way it could be the train ride from April… could it?

Honestly Akira had experienced some weird things in the last year, but with the destruction of the Metaverse… He couldn’t wrap his head around it, he nearly missed the stop he was supposed to get off at, only catching it out of instinct. He got out of the car, aiming for central street, letting the habits he’d formed over the last year guide him as he tried to parse out the exact answer and therefore solution to his problem.

By the time he reached the intersection, he was growing more and more desperate and freaked out. There was a tingle on his skin, a familiar one that used to comfort and empower him. In his confused haste he didn’t hear the incessant tone of his phone going off, signalling like a tolling bell that fate wasn’t done with the likes of Akira Kurusu.


	2. Something Out of a Weird American Movie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira is doing his best to keep the pace needed to keep things on track, his only life line is in the Metaverse, which he can't safely navigate... yet. But past experience tells him that 'going with the flow' will getting him there eventually.
> 
> Even if it mostly seems like something out of a weird American movie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome to chapter 2! I'm going to try to post as often as I can, mostly just cause my life doesn't have a firm schedule otherwise. So enjoy the two chapters back to back as I work on the third!

The pressing of bodies against him was driving Akira up the wall. He thought he had gotten used to the city and its lack of personal space, but in light of recent events, he was quickly reaching his breaking point. In the mass of bodies, he nearly missed the tone of his phone. I was hot, like it had been trying to escape his pocket in its desperate attempt to signal to Akira its need for his attention.

From its lit up face stared something that made his blood run cold. The red eye of the MetaNav looked up at him without a care that he had suddenly become rooted to the spot. It took all of Akira’s willpower not to smash the phone on the ground, his hands were already shaking as it was making not dropping the damned thing a task in and of itself.

When he finally managed to pull his gaze away, he was forced- once again, to watch the crowd around him come to a slow and unnatural still. Akira scanned the crowd, knowing at this point was when he received his first glance of his true rebellion. All he got for his trouble was a deep bass filled laugh, something that made his blood go from the cold it had been to glaciers slowly cutting through his veins.

The world resumed around Akira, but he was frozen. His heart hadn’t quite gotten the memo and was hammering in his chest like a cat caught in a bookbag-

_That’s it!_ Akira ripped himself from his mental lapse. _If anyone knows what’s going on and how to fix it, it’d be Morgana!_

He made his way towards the entrance of Mementos, Morgana was supposed to be there before they met right? Akira could feel the tingle in his fingertips, the acid, almost blood smell was there. Almost. Before he could feel his Personas just beneath the surface, their bargained power waiting for an outlet to wreak havoc in whatever direction he pointed. But, right that second, he couldn’t feel any of them. Even Arsene felt distant and unreachable.

It dawned on him like a hammer dawns on a nail.

He couldn’t summon his Persona.

It made sense, logically it made sense. He hadn’t technically met Arsene yet, he was there, in his heart. He couldn’t do any better than Haru could when she first started out if he tried to go in Mementos now. 

Akira scrubbed his hands up and down his face, hoping beyond hope that when they fell away he would be at home, in his bed, Morgana on his chest demanding whatever food he could make appear on the spot, whining when no magic fish was conjured. Opening his eyes to hustle and bustle of the station square created a lump in his throat like swallowing too many pills without enough water.

The next logical step was to go to his next destination; LeBlanc. He had to meet Sojiro for the first time…

Akira didn’t know if he’d be strong enough to do this.

* * *

Yongen-Jaya hadn’t really changed, which- made sense since he was really visiting for the first time. The technicalities of his peculiar life didn’t make him feel as good as he thought it would as he approached the door to LeBlanc, forgetting his wasn’t supposed to know that Sojiro would be here instead of his and Futaba’s house down the street.

Without preamble, Akira opened the door, figuring he’d come up with a plan as he went, stick to his strengths and rely on the fact that he knew what would happen next. But nothing prepared him for the cold glare that Sojiro leveled him with. He didn’t even look at him like that the first time they met. 

The clock caught his attention out of the corner of his eye, he was two hours later than their original first meeting. He reasoned that standing around an intersection, gaping like a fish out of water will do that to you. He did his best to turn his usual indifference into something resembling apologetic.

“I let you stay here and can’t even be bothered to show up at a reasonable time?” Sojiro fumed, giving him a once over, like he could tell exactly what kind of trouble he had gotten into just by looking at him. Akira shifted on his feet, it hadn’t occurred to him that his actions might indirectly change the outcome of the events. He’d have to tread carefully if he wanted to maintain his advantage over whatever was happening to him.

Sojiro heaved a heavy sigh, reminding Akira of how much weight he was secretly shouldering. He had never wished harder to be in Sojiro’s confidence, now that he knows what it is that he hides. “Your room is upstairs, it's a bit messy.” Whatever anger Akira had seen moments before seemed to leech out of the room, a tired air taking its place.

Up the stairs they walked together, finally coming to a stop in the large room that made the open attic. “Its late, we have to meet your teacher tomorrow, and you start school the day after that. Wake up on time.” Akira watched him go back down the stairs before turning with a sigh to the messy attic. It feels like he just got this place clean and decorated to his liking, and then all this weird time nonsense happened. 

Akira had started to put his things away when he remembered that Sojiro hadn’t flipped the open sign to closed, he usually tended to forget when his days ran late. He made his way downstairs to flip the sign, the phone ringing as the wooden sign clacked against the door.

“Hello, LeBlanc after hours, you can bring up drug dealings on my personal number,” Akira smirked into the receiver, unable to help himself. 

Another heavy sigh came through the phone, making it so Akira had to bite his cheek to keep from grinning. “I only called to ask you to flip the sign to closed, I tend to forget sometimes in my hurry-”

“Already done, Boss.” Akira was having his fun where he could. He knew that the next few weeks were going to be hard, probably harder the second time. 

“Already- Well, I-” Sojiro paused for a second, possibly to gather his thoughts. “Thank you. Get some sleep then, you have a big two days ahead of you.” Akira laughed, Sojiro had no idea.

* * *

The visit to the school passed without incident, though it felt weird to be seeing the principal again. It felt odd, seeing the dead going about their business. In the end, Akira buried the thoughts deep inside his head, he knew that bridge was coming, he’d have to burn or cross it when he got to it.

On the car ride home the radio report droned about how more incidents were being reported by the week at this point, a call for someone to do something hung in the air between Akira and the radio.

He hadn’t slept well last night as he was terrified of what you’d find in his dreams, not sure which Igor would be there to greet him. Akira was assured enough from having five jobs on various shifts that he could handle a little bit of sleep exhaustion. He also wasn’t nearly as physically involved. At least, he wouldn’t be- until tomorrow.

* * *

Another night with limited sleep left Akira feeling off kilter, he didn’t know how well he’d be able to face the day. But the ominous promise his dreams held for him- Akira shuddered at the thought of it. No. Today was too important, he couldn’t fuck it up regardless of how much the room threatened to spill him onto the ceiling.

After breakfast curry, and doling out compliments about it like he didn’t have every spice in it memorized and down to a fine art, Akira headed to school, the promise of rain wrapping Tokyo in a blanket that weighed heavy with promise. Though only Akira knew what that promise really was.

It was raining by the time he reached Aoyama, the water heavy on the spring blossoms that perfumed the air. Akira went for shelter under the storefront he spotted first, nearly positive it was the same one he sought refuge from the last time he was stranded like this.

Sure enough, Ann ran up, signature hoodie and all, to join him in the relative safety of the store’s awning. His heart broke as she looked at him. The fire in her eyes, while there, was dull, yet to be stoked by injustice not against her, but against those she held so dear to her. Akira wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and let her know it’d be okay, that she’d soon have the power in her hands to bring people like Kamoshida to justice.

But instead, he had to reign himself in. The sleep deprivation still making it hard on his body to obey any kind of call to action, even impulsive ones. He did managed through his haze, to barely grab Ann’s hand, the contact making her jump and serving to make Akira lurch back. He tumbled onto the wet cement.

“Are you okay?” For his part, Kamoshida did a great job weaving sincerity into his voice, had Akira not already known the truth, might have been able to believe that Kamoshida was a good man. Maybe he was, once upon a time.

Akira didn’t even notice Kamoshida’s car speeding away until he heard the wet slap of sneakers against concrete. The next part of the game had started, and Akira was missing his part dazed on the sidewalk.

Before he could consider getting up, a hand was already in his face. Akira’s silvery gaze followed up the arm of its owner to gaze into the sun itself.

Or, better yet known as, the face of the one and only Ryuji Sakamoto. _His_ sun.

“Woah dude,” Ryuji pulled him to his feet and began to look him over for any obviously wrong. Akira gave a rare smile to him as thanks, before reality came crashing down over him, far colder and more unnerving then the rain water that had already settled into his bones. Ryuji wasn’t doing this ‘cause he was his best friend and confidant. Ryuji was doing this ‘cause that was the kind of person he was, as far as the former track star was concerned, someone just needed his help.

Though sobering, the action warmed Akira’s insides up. Releasing the moths in his stomach that had been laid dormant since he had woken up on that train three days ago. At the very least, in all this mess, he could still count on Ryuji, whether he knew him or not.

Seeing nothing wrong in his evaluation just seemed to cause Ryuji to open up, the same vulgar speech from their original first meeting. Akira did his best to subtly open up the MetaNav, he had to do what he could to keep them on track, at the very least. This was a sure fire way to start getting answers, the Metaverse was here, and if he wanted to be able to get to its heart and demand his retribution, then he needed his friends.

And the best way to do that was to relive the hell of his last year. Though now he’d know better when to pull his punches.

“-marching around like some bastard king of the castle!” Ryuji punctuated his speech by spinning to look Akira in the eye. That’s all they needed for the MetaNav, though Akira felt like he was starting to make a habit of zoning out in the middle of Ryuji talking. The spark in those brown eyes sent a thrill through Akira, reminding him of all the runs they had gone on, of every Mementos request that had Ryuji leaning against him with the grin of a job well done.

Then Ryuji’s eyes fell and Akira was once again worried he had missed something.

“Dude you have to be freezing,” though the rain had stopped, Akira’s uniform was drenched from the fall onto the still very puddle ridden sidewalk. Ryuji was already shouldering off his jacket before Akira could even try to protest. 

_This didn’t happen last time, this wasn’t a part of the plan._

The blazer was warm, but then again, so was Ryuji. Akira could vouch for that from long runs in Mementos, his tired teammates all taking turns using him as a pillow as they waited for their next target.

“I have some spares at school we can snag,” Ryuji said, gesturing to the uniform that was now more water than cotton. “My mom always insisted, at least now I can tell her that mom instinct paid off.” There was literally nothing in the world that could have prepared Akira for the perfect blend of cliche romcom that had just transpired. The smell and warmth of the blazer was getting to his head, or maybe it was the sleep deprivation and falling on his ass.

God all of this was like something out of a weird American movie!

Ryuji guided them through the alleys and walkthroughs that Akira could navigate blindfolded, the whole time huddled in the warmth of Ryuji’s blazer. Letting it keep him safe from what he knew was about to transpire.

“Wha-?” Was his cue to know that there was no school building at the end of this alley. There was a scratching in the back of his waking mind, a nagging feeling he knew all too well.

Arsene was demanding his contract.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you're enjoying the story so far, at least as much as I am writing it. 
> 
> If you want regular updates on my creative process, you can read about me screaming on twitter as infallibleavian. I was really excited to reach 68 hits, only for me to get 3 more on the next refresh lmao.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading. Let me know what you think! Comments are always appreciated!


	3. Playing His Part

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was all coming together, the players in place, now all Akira had to do was play his part.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank my best friend Graytrickster for his help with editing this so far. Really helps me keep the tone I want this to have as it continues, especially in more tense chapters like this one.
> 
> If you like Goro and Vampires, check out his fic Coffee and Alcohol!

The tallest spires of the castle mingled with the cloud lined blanket above them, though it phased in and out of sight. A glance at the real world through the veil of the Metaverse. Akira pulled Ryuji’s blazer tighter around him, the cold didn’t seem to permeate through to the Metaverse. Probably something to do with Kamoshida’s cognition, like how hot it was in Futaba’s desert.

Ryuji was still staring, dumbfounded, at the castle where his high school normally stood. His brows knit together and Akira could see the gears in his head turning, trying to find some answers rooted in his current reality.

“Hah,” Ryuji hiked his bookbag higher on his shoulder. “The drama club has really gone all out haven’t they?” His chuckle was all nerves as he gestured towards the doors with a jaunty nod, beckoning Akira to follow him into their ‘school’. Akira couldn’t stop his body from tensing, there wasn’t much he could do.

As Akira stepped forward his knees wobbled, threatening to buckle under his weight as he took the stairs. He straightened out before Ryuji could turn to see what was holding him up. They crossed the drawbridge together, side by side.

At the very least, Akira knew this visit was supposed to be a short one. Only a few battles. Maybe tonight he would finally be exhausted enough to sleep without the risk of dreams, sleep deep enough that he wouldn’t have to encounter his fears. If only for a little while longer.

Once again stuck in his own head, Akira had missed Ryuji pushing open the doors to the castle, leading them both right into the thick of it. Without thinking, Akira put himself to Ryuji’s right, where the first of the guards would soon come to discover them. In the meantime, Ryuji gawked at the vaulted ceilings and flying buttresses that sculpted the building around them, oblivious to Akira’s nerves. 

A pulse rippled through the building, letting them see the briefest hint of the school’s entry hall.

“This is too good for the drama club,” Ryuji had a deep frown etched into his face, still trying to reason out why he was in a castle. “Maybe they’re using the school for a movie?” A guard came in with the flawless timing Akira remembered, oh this was gonna suck.

The booming voice still caught Akira off guard.

“You’re trespassing on the castle grounds of the great King Kamoshida, surrender now and face your punishment.” 

“_King_ Kamoshida?!” Ryuji fumed. “Is that bastard pulling everyone into his insane delusions?!”

Akira settled a hand on Ryuji’s shoulder, signalling him that reinforcements had begun to surround them. The muscles under his hand tensed, sensing the actual danger they were in now. Oh how his heart ached to see that fear in his eyes, but it was quickly the last thing he saw.

He had forgotten about the getting knocked out bit.

The world behind his eyes didn’t want to be yielded to Akira just yet, just a pain in his wrists and the sound of chains that offered no comfort with their alarming and near daily familiarity.

Opening his eyes had Akira looking into his Sun, the celestial body he would always be orbiting without every being within reach, only allowed to bask in its warmth.

Ryuji looked worried, his eyebrows furrowing so close together it seemed their goal was to merge. “What? Dude it’s hardly the time for poetry.”

Had he said that out loud? Akira tried to sit up, but his head felt like a fuzzy top and whatever exhaustion he had felt before had easily tripled. This wasn’t good. They needed Morgana, even if they both awakened their personas right now, both Arsene and Captain Kidd were lacking in the ability to heal in any capacity.

“Shit, shit shit,” Ryuji ran a hand into his hair, Akira followed the movement and wished that could be his hand. “How hard did that guy hit you? Eff, I should have listened in health class, just uh…” his hands fluttered about, hating not being able to do anything. “Just keep your eyes open! Don’t fall asleep on me!”

Sleep? No. He had stuff to do. If he thought really hard he could do it. If his eyes could just focus, if his mind could just focus.

A mocking laugh sounded behind Ryuji, cutting through whatever moment they were having. “Aw, so my guards caught some love birds roosting in my nest, huh?” Suddenly, Akira remembered what he was here for.

Kamoshida.

Staggering to his feet was no easy task. The guards started to flood in, declaring that the King expected an execution. Well, Akira planned to give them one. No temporary pain could suffocate his lifelong rage. Arsene was banging on the walls of the cage of his heart, all he needed was a crack in the defenses.

Ryuji threw himself in front of Akira, “you can’t damn well go around executing people just cause they step a foot out of line you bastard!” The swell in Akira’s heart didn’t last long, as Ryuji was batted to the side by one giant, metal encased claw. 

His reserves were crumbling faster than before. The sword that pressed to Ryuji as Kamoshida revealed in his begging for his life threatened to strike true.

“I’ll stop you!” Akira shouted, his own voice making his head hurt, but he did his part. Kamoshida’s attention turned to him, letting the guard drop Ryuji as his full wrath crashed again Akira. Even through the haze of his head injury, Akira remembered this.

The voice Akira knew better than his own roused up from inside him. “I see we’re back at your awakening, but our pact still stands true, for I will always be apart of you. Call my name, and let us show this barbarian some class once more!”

“Return to me,” the guards rushed towards as he threw his hand into the air. “ARSENE!” Blue flames rushed over his body like a wildfire, the power of summoning his persona knocking the guards back, many disappearing to shade on impact.

As soon as the surge of power came, it was over. Akira’s head felt like someone had detached it and was playing a lengthy game of football with it. As he sagged, Ryuji came to his rescue once again, hoisting his right arm over his shoulder and wrapping his arm around Akira’s waist.

“Thanks Ryuji,” Akira was glad to have some of his weight taken off of him, he had never realized how heavy he was. He was set against the wall as Ryuji quickly locked the door with Kamoshida inside before helping Akira to his feet.

Together they rushed down the corridors of the dungeon. Akira wasn’t doing too well. He was drawing all the strength he could from his persona, but even that had an end. On top of it all, he had the feeling he was forgetting something, something important.

It didn’t take long for them to find a dead end. A bridge they couldn’t lower mocked them as Ryuji was forced to part from Akira’s side to set him on the ground and investigate the area a bit more. Akira hurt all over, the creeping nausea in his stomach wasn’t helping matters.

“Hey! Frizzy Hair!” Startled and sluggish, Akira tried to summon Arsene, but he was far too tired to be able to use any magic. “Ugh, looking a little worse for wear there. Think you can get this door open?” Akira squinted through the haze in front of his eyes, he knew that voice.

“Morgana?” He struggled to his feet, grasping the bars for support. Beckoning Ryuji and the keys he had over to him. This wasn’t the way this was supposed to happen, but it was close enough that it hopefully wouldn’t ruin the outcome.

The little cat exaggerated a frown as Akira fumbled with the keys, waving off help from Ryuji. “How do you know my name?” 

Ryuji froze, as if the moment in their cell finally dawned on him. “Yeah mine too. I know all of this king in the castle nonsense is weird but-” Ryuji let out an aggravated sigh, not knowing how to get what he was trying to say across. Akira waved them off, he wished he wasn’t the only one who knew how this needed to go. The stage was set, all he had to do was play his part. It was like being in a play where only he knew the plot and lines.

Morgana looked him over with a critical eye. “Woah there, Frizzy, you’re not look too hot, you sure you’re up for this?” Akira nodded, though it felt like his head might fall off with the movement. They had Morgana, the next step was him leading them out. “Alright then, how about it? If I help you two weaklings out of here, you’re gonna have to owe me one.” Morgana flashed them both a smile like he was being slick.

“Fine, fine.” Ryuji looked like he was having bamboo pushed up under his fingernails, every little creak and moan made him jump and squirm. “And you,” he pointed a finger at Akira, “you have some explaining to do after the “Morgana”,” he put heavy emphasis on Morgana’s, “leads us out of here.” It hurt to have Ryuji’s ire directed towards him, but he nodded regardless.

They had fallen off course with all of this.

* * *

The route out wasn’t quite the way that Akira remembered, and it was getting to him, making his heart feel too small to get blood to his brain. He had meant to ask Morgana to heal him after he was released from his cell, but, along with most of his other thoughts, it had slipped his mind.

There weren’t many patrols along the way they took this time, which while it put his hair on end, Akira was grateful for. He was barely keeping pace, he couldn’t fight, and worse still. If he couldn’t fight, he couldn’t protect.

Ryuji for his part seemed to trying really hard not to lose his shit. He kept throwing glances over his shoulder to Akira, like was going to jump him. It hurt, but Akira figured it was fair. This is what came of him not playing his part the way his was supposed to.

Akira looked up as they came to an antechamber that was fuzzy in his memory. His mind chugged like an old computer powered by a potato clock. The hairs on the back of his neck had a better reaction time than he did. 

One minute, Akira was standing, squinting through the eye holes in mask trying to recall the next part. The next he was on the ground, a heavy boot on his back.

_That’s not a very good sign._ And then the world went black.

* * *

Ryuji felt the crash more than heard it. The magical pretty boy from before was behind him, pinned to the ground by one of the castle guards. Draped in red and gold and looking pretty pleased with himself for someone who took out some poor guy with a head injury. Something welled up inside him at the sight of it.

“Trying to escape?” Kamoshida’s shit eating grin came sidling from the other side of the guard. “Like a rat in a maze, chasing your tail and waiting for some kind soul to end your sad little lives. Lucky for you I’m feeling charitable.” A guard behind Ryuji seized him, grabbing his elbows and forcing them back towards each other. No skin shifted between the plates of the armor, just ever creeping Shadow.

Every word Kamoshida said seemed to be amplified by the castle around them. Everything leaning towards him like a star trailing comets. It made Ryuji sick, his blood boiling and curdling as he struggled against his capture.

“Unhand me you vile thing!” The cat thing- Morgana? He called it?- had tried to sneak up on Kamoshida from his blind side, now another guard held him by the scruff of his neck. Ryuji’s eyes burned and he couldn’t tell if it was the tears he was fighting back or… something else entirely.

“Well Sakamoto? Where’s that boastful spirit you swing around like you’re the cock of the walk, huh?” The boy on the ground let out a groan of pain as the boot dug further into his back. “After everything I did for you, you repay me like this?” Kamoshida met eyes with the guard hold Ryuji, signalling for him to shove him down on his knees in front of him.

Morgana let out a scream, Ryuji spat on Kamoshida’s feet.

“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” Something ignited within Ryuji at that second as he forced himself to his feet. “Go ahead! Come at me you dirty fucking pervert!”

All at once, Ryuji’s ears began to ring- a weight familiar and foriegn settled across his face.

“You reached your breaking point much sooner this time,” his legs felt like they couldn’t hold his weight, threatening to buckle as he tried to pry the weight from his face. “Our old pact holds true, you seek power, and I seek to give it to you. You’ve reached your point of no return, why not have some fun and drag the others down to Davy Jones’ locker yourself.”

The mask came free with one great tug. The signs of his effort running thick and red down his face. “Let’s go!” He leveled his on Kamoshida, singled out and alone in the middle of the antechamber.  
“CAPTAIN KIDD!!” The power around Ryuji rippling through the air like the energy arcing off of a lightning strike. In the middle stood Ryuji, the center of the storm, the coil that sparked electricity.

“WASSUP PERSONA!!”


	4. Ryuji Sakamoto and the Bastard's Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magic cats, pretty boys showing up out of nowhere and unlocking magic powers in you? It was a little too much like a magical girl anime for Ryuji to stay entirely sane. But he's not freaking out. Are you freaking out, cause Ryuji, _isn't._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the wait! I've been job hunting and really sick, so both of those made writing kinda hard, but now chapter 4 is out! I rewrote the ending god knows how many times because I couldn't figure out where to end this chapter??? plus Akira being a mostly silent protag makes him hard to pin down in moments like "hey weird how the fuck do you know my name??" but it had to come at some point. 
> 
> also finding out secret trivia knowledge about Ryuji is WAY harder than I thought it would be? or that it has any right to be! I had to outsource to my beta who thankfully is wise in all things P5 related (he also proceeded to talk about Goro Akechi facts for another 2 hours, but I love him anyway.)

Winning the fight had sent any reinforcement scrambling, giving Ryuji just enough time to- with the shouts of encouragement from Morgana- drag the poor unconscious bastard out of the line of fire. Out of the Castle entirely actually. There were some crates, away from the eyesight of the door.

“He took quite a beating before you two found me, huh?” Morgana- he was 90% sure the transfer student had called it Morgana- was looking over the other boy with a critical eye. Ryuji felt panic stick in his throat like a dry swallowed pill. He was breathing right? God this would be just his luck.

A soft paw hit against his cheek, right under his newest accessory. “Now is not the time for a freak out.” Morgana rifled through his fanny pack, reminding Ryuji of his mom when she lost her chapstick in her purse. Three bottles of something were hastily shoved into Ryuji’s hands.

“If I heal him, you guys will owe me, got it?” The wind in their little hide-away picked up suddenly, Morgana at the epicenter. Ryuji nodded furiously, whatever the little cat-thing wanted, as long… whoever this is… came out of this okay.

Ryuji watched wide eyed as Morgana worked his magic, literally. All the while wondering why he felt so strongly about the other boy’s recovery. They had only just met, but yet, they were both willing to take blows for each other.

Morgana, undeterred by the trouble in Ryuji’s heart thrust his little paw forward, bapping the frizzy haired teenager firmly on the noise with a quiet; _“Dia!”_

* * *

Akira woke up with a gasp, sitting up so fast it made him dizzy. Gentle hands- and paws- took hold of his shoulders, keeping him from pitching to one side or the other. The pain that had come to claim his head had vanished, leaving him feeling out of place in its sudden absence. He looked around at his saviors. Morgana’s smug face became clear first, looking for all the world like the cat that got the cream.

Finally, Akira registered the warmth of his Sun. Ryuji’s worried eyes were just visible under the skull mask that rested on his cheekbones. It saddened him slightly, to have missed Ryuji’s coming into his Persona. Akira always relished in seeing his friends harness the power to stand up for themselves. Missing it made something in Akira’s heart sink, and the worried look in Ryuji’s eyes made it plummet.

“What the fuck was that?!” Ryuji shouted, though he seemed as surprised by what came out of his mouth as Akira was. His jaw snapped shut, but he scowled like he still demanded an answer to his very vague question. Akira would love to give him one, but he had no idea where to start.

Morgana held up a single paw, cutting Akira off before he could start. “We all have questions, but right here, right now isn’t the place for it.” He poked his head out from their hiding spot, his ears pinned back as he listened for any shadows in the vicinity. Without a word, Morgana held up a single paw. Akira got ready to move, and signaled Ryuji to do the same. The paw motioned forward and the trio followed its example.

* * *

Akira watched Ryuji pant in the alleyway they had taken cover in. Whatever questions he had were swimming behind his eyes, but he at least had enough tact to wait until they weren’t in the middle of the city to chew him out for whatever he babbled while not in his right mind.

Having caught his breath, Ryuji straightened his back, moving to walk past Akira into the main street. Without thinking, Akira grabbed his arm, preventing him from walking right out into the sight of the two officers that got them in trouble last time. “Hold up.”

Ryuji squinted at him with a critical eye, then glanced past their second hiding spot of the day. Whatever he saw seemed to back Akira up. Ryuji jumped back, trying for all the world to blend into the brick wall behind them.

Akira found himself, once again, thinking about how hopelessly in love he was with his best friend.

“The coast is clear,” Morgana breezed past them, saving Akira from himself and making Ryuji just about jump out of his skin. “Come on, we have to get planning our next move.”

“We can’t,” Akira said, finding his voice and minding his part. “We’re already late for school.” If those were the cops from the first time around, then, even with Ryuji awakening his Persona early, they were right on track. At least now they could continue on without the police escort.

The last several hours had wildly confused Akira. He had assumed that everything had to go exactly right, or that that would be the easiest way to do it. He’d have the advantage that way, at the very least. From what he could tell, the change of action didn’t affect anything that much, yeah Ryuji had awakened early. He guessed they could really skip a lot of the snooping around, since he knew everything.

Ryuji grabbed Akira’s shoulder, pulling him from his thoughts to look up at Kamoshida’s smug face. He had barely started this game and he already couldn’t wait until May to see that bastard begging for forgiveness. 

_Ann should get to the last shot this time._ Akira thought, determination sparking as he met eyes with Kamoshida. _She deserves it after all this._

Ryuji stalked off. “Better get going,” an iridescent gold glinted off of Kamoshida’s eyes like the third eyelid of a snake. “Wouldn’t want to get on anyone’s bad side on your first day.” Akira flashed an uneven smile that didn’t reach his eyes and showed too many of his teeth, like an animal promising bloodshed.

The air around Kamoshida shimmered like a mirage, giving way to the Shadow that lurked within the dark confines of his heart.

Akira kept walking before he did something that would absolutely set him back.

* * *

The day was largely passed by Akira having to stop himself from blowing his ‘cover’. It didn’t matter how upset Ann was, or how battered Mishima looked. There wasn’t much he could say that would be able to bring them any comfort. He just resolved to fight even harder, free them even faster.

Akira packed up his bag as the school day drew to a close. He followed the drip of students out of the classroom, only to bodily smack into the one and only Ryuji Sakamato. Akira’s mind spaced as he looked up into Ryuji’s big, brown, worry filled eyes.

“Dude, you can see with those glasses right?” Ryuji helped Akira steady himself. “Cause I’m not entirely convinced.” He shot a sharp toothed smile Akira’s way before looking around seriously. 

“We need to talk,” Ryuji grabbed his hand and dragged Akira downstairs and out of the building.

Akira gulped, his skin tingling at the point of contact. “Not on the roof?” Ryuji shook his head and kept moving forward, towards the station.

“Nah, all that castle bullshit made me skip lunch.” Akira _was_ hungry, and the pleasant feeling of Ryuji’s hand in his warmed his insides more than any bowl of curry could ever hope to. He was much weaker to cute boys when they were actively holding his hand.

There couldn’t be too much harm in just getting some ramen, Akira was also hungry, and he did owe Ryuji some kind of explanation. Though he wasn’t sure what that explanation was quite yet… 

Ryuji was already half-way through his first bowl of ramen. Akira knew from experience that no matter how lanky Ryuji may look to the common eye, he could pack away carbs. As long as they came soaked in broth with soft boiled eggs and green onions.

Akira still didn’t know what to say, and was grateful that Ryuji was taking his time on the ramen before laying into him about everything that happened today. So far, resolved to just asking whatever questions came his way.

“So,” Ryuji started around a mouth full of noodles, swallowing before he continued. “That castle shit was crazy, right?” Akira had to bite back a laugh, it was just like Ryuji to get right into the meat of the matter. He nodded and picked a bit more at his food. 

“You seemed pretty well versed in-” Ryuji’s chopsticks extended his gesture further. “-you know, whatever that was.” 

That time Akira did laugh, soft and brief. “Yeah but you’re a natural, Ryuji.” As the name left his mouth, Akira remembered the fact that he technically, he shouldn’t know Ryuji’s first name.

“There it is!” A couple a table over shot daggers over Ryuji’s shoulder at them. Ryuji didn’t notice and probably didn’t really care. “How do you know my name?”

“Because we’re soulmates.” Akira’s mouth conspired against him, making up words without his consent. He tried to keep his cool despite Ryuji’s guttural laughter and the sinking feeling in his gut. At least it bought him some more time.

Ryuji managed to reel in his laughter. “Yeah sure, but I don’t know anything about you.” His smile stuck to his face like glue, at some point he finished his ramen, and Akira still couldn’t look him in the eye. There was so much to say.

“You know psychics?” Akira had to fight a groan at his own words. He was only spared in this moment by the fact that Morgana wasn’t here to rub his nose in both his crush and his shame.

“What? Like Chihaya?” Ryuji surprised Akira by knowing about the psychic that sat behind her little table in the red light district. He nods, trying to avoid the broken bits of truth he has for now, at least until he has a bit more to go on.

Ryuji squinted like he was skeptical. “My mom used to go to her, I always thought she was fake, but she made my mom feel better.” He slammed his hands on the table, resolute in whatever plan he had conjured. “So you’re gonna have to prove it!”

Akira had to think for a moment. He knew so much about the other boy sitting in front of him. He couldn’t say anything too personal, that would be weird. And stuff like knowing his hair was dyed was obvious. He settled on some things in the middle.

He cleared his throat.

“Your birthday is July 3rd, you taught yourself how to make cough drops ‘cause you love your mom, you’ll turn down things like requests to hang out if you promised your mom _anything_, you act really abrasive but if you help every old lady struggling with groceries you see-” Akira took a pause, taking in Ryuji’s dumbstruck face. He probably didn’t have to list more than two really, but he tended to overindulge in the things he loved.

Ryuji’s mouth was slightly agape, Akira had to resist the urge to reach over and close it for him. His self control didn’t need to be spread any thinner. Instead he shot him a grin. “Proof enough?”

Ryuji nodded, if not a bit reluctantly. “For now, I still got a feeling that there’s more to this then you’re letting on.” And well, Akira couldn’t argue with that, cause he was right, and there’s only so many times a day he could lie to his best friend’s face.

\---

As happy as Akira was to be laughing with Ryuji like they did before, all good things must come to an end. They parted at the station and Akira made the familiar trip home to LeBlanc.

The smell of coffee lifted off Akira’s worries, if only long enough for him to maybe get some rest. Nice, dreamless rest.

“Oh you’re back,” Sojiro was messing with something behind the counter. It was shortly before closing, meaning that he was probably doing the last of his prep before he headed home to cook for himself and Futaba. “There was a cat meowing at your window. Have you already been feeding the local strays?”

Akira scowled, Morgana had found him faster than he had anticipated, but the cat was clever when he was motivated enough. He knew Sojiro was a Dad at heart, but Sojiro didn’t know he knew.

“Now no begging, I run a business, you can’t well go and have a _stray_ cat running around the cafe like he owns the place.” Sojiro paused before holding up a collar, a glittering tag swaying from the hoop. “I think I heard on the news that pets help reform prisoners in certain cases, gives them a sense of responsibility, maybe the same can be said for you.”

With that, Sojiro seemed to have said his peace, and grabbed his hat as he headed for the door. “Oh,” he turned as he stood in the doorway. “He can’t be coming down here during business hours, you’ll have to figure something out. Same with feeding him, I won’t be paying for cat food or toys, he’s supposed to be teaching you responsibility, not me.”

Sojiro departed, leaving Akira with Morgana’s new collar. The tag read ‘Chief’ in a fancy engraved font. He laughed, his worries from the last few days truly leaving him. Maybe he was being too optimistic too soon, but he felt a surge of hope about his circumstances come from the last few encounters with his closest confidants.

“What are you laughing at?” Morgana stood, just barely cresting the stairs to where he could see into the restaurant. “I thought I heard the Chief leave?” The nickname Morgana had given Sojiro of his own accord only made Akira laugh harder. He was verging on hysterics, but he was tired and his life felt like it had finally shifted into some form of normalcy.

“Whatever, don’t tell me.” With a huff and a flick of his tail, he headed back upstairs, like he was as used to be there as Akira was to having him up there. “You should probably get to bed, you sound just as bad for wear as when I saved you.”

Yeah, everything was settling back into its normal peace.


	5. Being The Main Character Isn't All It's Cracked Up To Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira finally sleeps, but is it worth it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive!!!!!!! Sorry for the.......... month long delay................. I'm going to try to write more chapters in advance, but my new job has only 6 people on staff AND my schooling has gone all pear shaped, so writing kinda fell to the wayside until I got things a little more settled. But! I finally got free time on my days off, so maybe that'll change!
> 
> Thanks for still reading! 
> 
> Also I don't know how to timeskip, don't be mad, I just didn't want to have to write the procession of 300 days.....

The familiar weight of Morgana trapping his legs beneath his blanket put a certain kind of ease in Akira’s chest that he didn’t know he was missing before. Sleep came over him in a heavy rush, dragging him down into a darkness that he’s seen too many times before.

Panic quickly replaced the warmth that had come over Akira as his eyes opened to the dank prison scene that plagued his thoughts since he had woken up on that train three days ago. He clambered to his feet and tried to get a bearing on his surroundings. He had the upper hand here, he knew the path to follow if things went south.

Akira’s clothes weren’t the usual stripes, instead replaced by his school uniform, and no weight tied his ankle to the floor. Yet he was still in the prison, there were no wardens. In fact, beyond the bars of his cell, there was nothing. The space full of nothing but the grainy sound of music, playing from another, unseen, room of the prison.

Even the door was slightly ajar.

Before Akira had a change to try and investigate further, the air filled with the smell of ozone and the Metaverse flickered like a living thing across his skin. A baritone laugh broke in over the quiet music.

Yaldabaoth.

“Now now, my dear protagonist,” the chuckle seemed to be coming from inside Akira’s head, real and inescapable. “It seems like we’ve started our game anew. Will you be so resigned to repeat your fate again? Or will you try to forge another path? The choices are infinite, is your patience?”

* * *

Akira woke up to blue eyes.

“You were yelling in your sleep.” Morgana backed off once he was sure that Akira was lucid, though he stayed on his lap, looking out of his depth. “Woke me from my beauty sleep.” Morgana deflected any questions of caring before they could even be poised. 

Akira shook his head and checked his phone. He had about 2 hours before he to get going, but his dream- or whatever it was- had left him restless and left going back to sleep out of the question.

He rushed through his morning routine, it was easy enough to fall back into, he basically never really left LeBlanc after all. Akira arranged his books in the bottom of his bag, trying to make sure no uncomfortable edges could catch on Morgana- knowing how likely the cat was to complain if they did, he held the bag out to his companion.

“What?” Morgana looked up from cleaning his face long enough to give the bag a long look of disdain. “No.” Akira sighed, this was so much easier when it was Morgana’s idea. He knew he could bribe him, but he was a little low on tuna money at the moment.

“I’ll need backup if we get pulled into the Metaverse again,” Akira pointed out, trying to play on Morgana’s pride as smoothly as possible.

Morgana snorted, taking the bait. “Of course you will.” His eyes caught the light as he narrowed them at the bag full of school supplies. “You owe me big time.” 

A sound on the stairs interrupted them, announcing Sojiro’s presence in the attic.

“Okay okay,” Sojiro’s face had a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth, showing off the laugh lines in his face. He had a bowl in his hand, decorated with small cat heads and flowers, full of moist food. “Quit your crying before the customers come-” he halted at seeing Akira, awake.

“Listen, I-” Sojiro flustered right away, as though he couldn’t think of why exactly he was here, cat food in hand, despite his previous promises. “He sounded so sad! I figured he was hungry and you were sleeping-” Sojiro pursed his lips and set the food on the ground by the banister, to which Morgana walked to, trying his best not to look too eager.

Akira managed to hold of his laughter, but couldn’t fight the smile off of his face. Sojiro smiled down at Morgana before straightening his face out and making his way to Akira. He put something in Akira’s hand, and then stiffly made his way back to the stairs.

“I have breakfast ready if you’re hungry.” And with one final nod, he made his way back down the stairs. Akira looked at what Sojiro had given him; a little catnip mouse. So much for his no food, no toys rule…

The nice moment was ruined by the wet sounds of Morgana trying to devour all his food in giant, awkward mouthfuls. Akira shook his head and went downstairs, the smell of curry making his stomach rumble.

* * *

Getting out earlier allowed Akira more time to wander, he usually only got a chance for more urban exploration on the days between finishing a Palace and the deadline, and even then it was for the things needed to keep his friends alive. So being able to explore with just the intent to look around felt nice.

At least until someone walked right into him and he fell on his ass. That felt less nice.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry!” Akira didn’t even have a chance to check on Morgana before he turned to see his would be attacker, her melodious voice a balm. Ann. “I know better than to text and walk, and yet here we-” Her eyes narrowed as they met Akira’s. “Its you.”

Akira shrugged in acknowledgement of whatever the hell that was suppose to mean. “Its me.” A corner of Ann’s mouth turned down, causing a line to form between her carefully done eyebrows.

Ann nodded and stood up, dusting herself off before offering Akira her hand. She looked like she wanted to say more, but something was stopping her. Instead she nodded, brows furrowing further before she nodded and walked off in the direction of the train to Aoyama. 

“Who was _that_?” Morgana had come out of the bag to prop himself on Akira’s shoulder, staring longingly after the retreating form of Ann. Akira shook his head and adjusted his bag, knocking Morgana loose from his shoulder as he tried to busy himself until the next train came.

* * *

It was hard to pretend like he didn’t know what was going on, having to fake some kind of ignorance. He worked to remember and plot out the course of the next month in his diary, the notebook growing full of contradictions and recollections that he hoped would help in the coming months.

As far as Kamoshida was concerned, the next thing that Akira needed to worry about was the volleyball rally. He, Ryuji, and Morgana had already looked for openings in the Castle with little luck, just like the first time around. Akira knew their best shot was going to be Mishima or…. Shiho.

Akira had been thinking really hard about Shiho lately. He only really knew about her through Ann, and he felt terrible about that. This time around he was determined to help her, he just couldn’t figure out how yet, and he was running out of time. The rally was tomorrow.

His slacks vibrated with a text from the couch, making Morgana look up bearily from his post on the bed. Akira got up from his desk to pad over and retrieve his phone. “What now?”

A small smile pulled at his mouth, making Morgana scoff in realization; “Ryuji, of course.” Akira threw a glare at him before sitting down to read his messages.

_”so the rally’s tomorrow you said something about a plan?”_ Akira had figured it was best to keep his current teammates as looped in on his ‘observations’ as possible. It would be harder to ask them to just go with it in the moment.

_”The two people who seem to take the brunt of Kamoshida’s attention on the team are Suzui and Mishima. I think we should focus on them.”_

_”another one of your ‘psychic’ vibes?”_ Akira let out a laugh, Ryuji hadn’t forgotten his excuse from before, nor had he expected him too. Ryuji wasn’t book smart, but he did have a good memory when it came to people.

_”You could call it that. When the rally takes a break we can split up, you talk to Mishima, I’ll talk to Suzui.”_

Ryuji replied with a thumbs up and bid good night, leaving Akira with happy feeling settling over him. He didn’t have to follow the path entirely, maybe just run parallel to it, avoid the worst of the bumps in the road.

Shiho wasn’t the only one he hadn’t been able to help. Akira could hear voice flutter up from the TV downstairs as Sojiro did the last of the dishes. The cocky timbre distorted by distance and the audio crackle of old TV speakers. 

No, this time. Everyone would get a happy ending. Akira would make sure of that with his final breath.


End file.
